Minimum requirements discrepancy

[nils42]

I was just looking around and I noticed that on Steam (and everywhere else I looked) that the minimum system requirements are shown as 512mb VRAM, on the main store is says recommended as 512mg VRAM. I run the game at 256mg VRAM, the game is't all that pretty but it works. I just wanted to let you guys know because with my Steam experience, Steam to ensure bad reviews based on hardware don't happen as often, won't let you play some things even if your computer would run it without Steam.

-Just thought you'd like to know

[annallia]

Most games can actually be run on specs below their stated minimum. They usually require you to play on the lowest possible settings but it can be done. However, it will tax your system and likely crash a lot if you try which is why the stated minimum is usually a bit higher than the true minimum. Also why most give both a minimum and a recommended requirements.

[Depth]

The minimum requirements do not take into account the size of the resolution. You need more hardware to run at 2560 x 1440 than 800 x 600.

[nils42]

all I know steam won't allow the download and playing of games with higher specs than your current hardware , although I am not sure about other game distribution services.

[dr_jt]

all I know steam won't allow the download and playing of games with higher specs than your current hardware , although I am not sure about other game distribution services.

I didn't know that. Well it looks like I have another reason to put on my, "Why I don't like Steam" list.

[Vrana]

all I know steam won't allow the download and playing of games with higher specs than your current hardware , although I am not sure about other game distribution services.

Uh... Really? Can you back that claim with some evidence?

Steam doesnt even see your (or at least they claim not to see) system specs unless you volounteer this info to them and even then they claim this info is anonymous. So how do they restrict playing (and i assume buying) games based on info they claim not to have?

Edited December 3, 2013 by Vrana

[ZedNova]

Minimum specs from what i've seen:

Video card: Intel HD 4000 ( which is usually integrated into the processor, that is why i recommend a dual core)

Processor: 2ghz Dual core

Ram: 3gb

Resolution: 1024x768

You have to turn most of the settings to low but you get playable framerates for normal ships.

Edited December 3, 2013 by ZedNova

[bainbridge]

I got it running quite well on 256mb Vram, 2.4ghz dual core and 1gb ram, but it would struggle on take off and re-entry, and would crash after v20 was released.

Runs like a dream on my main machine though: 2gb Vram, [email protected] and 16gb ram.

[bainbridge]

Isn't it amazing how they actually landed on the moon with less computing power than it takes to run this game

[numerobis]

Apollo didn't need to simulate the physics acting upon it.

Similarly, I run at 1.8 GHz without real issue. But then, I don't mind lag as much as many players do.

4 GB RAM used to be very tight, but things got much better the past few releases.

[bainbridge]

Apollo didn't need to simulate the physics acting upon it.

Similarly, I run at 1.8 GHz without real issue. But then, I don't mind lag as much as many players do.

4 GB RAM used to be very tight, but things got much better the past few releases.

I built a machine from old parts running a Duo 1.86Ghz clocked to 2.4Ghz which just wasn't fast enough for this game.

[numerobis]

Basically, I'm happy looking at a slideshow of rockets I've built. Many other players seem to want to play a video game about rockets they're flying.

[spikeyhat09]

my system is an inch below the minimum, but somehow it runs quite nicely. 30+ frames until i get into the 200+ part range, even then its completely playable to a maximum of, id say, 500-600 parts

parts for a kickass new build should come in the mail tomorrow though, from black friday newegg sale w00t w00t

[Artophwar]

all I know steam won't allow the download and playing of games with higher specs than your current hardware , although I am not sure about other game distribution services.

Where did you hear that?? The beauty of steam is you can play your games anywhere, on ANY machine, you just have to log into your account. The hardware survey is just a voluntary option and it only knows your specs when you do it. Your hardware could change any time after that and they wouldnt know. I have multiple computers and my laptop is really old but I still can play lot of games that it doesnt meet the specs for.

[nils42]

I stand corrected I was able to start it with steam, maybe there was an update to steam, I just put this up because every time I have tried to do something similar a while back (with a lower GPU and steam rejected it).

[nils42]

Where did you hear that?? The beauty of steam is you can play your games anywhere, on ANY machine, you just have to log into your account. The hardware survey is just a voluntary option and it only knows your specs when you do it. Your hardware could change any time after that and they wouldnt know. I have multiple computers and my laptop is really old but I still can play lot of games that it doesnt meet the specs for.

I never heard about that i've experienced steam saying "your computer does not have the required hardware to run this game" note that this was with a game I have played without steam on the same hardware

[vetrox]

I never heard about that i've experienced steam saying "your computer does not have the required hardware to run this game" note that this was with a game I have played without steam on the same hardware

What game was it?

Does it say this before you purchase the game?

[Lysergic]

Steam will let you buy and download and try to run any game. Even if you don't have the required operating system. It does have a notice on the page if a game has issues (ie if it won't run on windows 7). But it won't prevent you from trying to play.

[pxi]

all I know steam won't allow the download and playing of games with higher specs than your current hardware , although I am not sure about other game distribution services.

I am fairly sure this is false. I cite the fact that I have on a few occasions, used my laptop in work to download games through Steam and then transfer the game files to my desktop in order to play them. There is no way my laptop meets the requirements to play most of the games I've downloaded this way.

Also lets look at the OP statement:

I was just looking around and I noticed that on Steam (and everywhere else I looked) that the minimum system requirements are shown as 512mb VRAM, on the main store is says recommended as 512mg VRAM. I run the game at 256mg VRAM, the game is't all that pretty but it works. I just wanted to let you guys know because with my Steam experience, Steam to ensure bad reviews based on hardware don't happen as often, won't let you play some things even if your computer would run it without Steam.

-Just thought you'd like to know

Look at the bolded parts. It seems you contradict yourself.

Edit: Now on the other hand, if Steam were to add a feature that would pop up a warning telling you that the game wouldn't work on your system, that would actually be useful. If there is one, I've never seen it.

Edited December 4, 2013 by pxi

[MistaX8]

Steam does not prevent you from playing games below minimum spec. I remember way back when I was playing stuff on my laptop. Call of Duty World at War went on sale on steam for a massively low price. I knew my computer could barely run it, but it was wicked cheap and the console versions were dying (both with low player base and rampant god-mode hackers) so I said, "what the heck" and downloaded it. I could run the game. I had to have everything turned way down, it looked like absolute garbage and even then the fps was bouncing between 30-50, but I could still run it.

Now, that being said, individual games might lock you out if the devs are a bunch of clueless hacks. Take Call of Duty: Ghosts for instance (a game that is horribly optimized, I won't even get into everything that is wrong with that game right now). The game had an inflated 6GB of RAM requirement. When people tried playing with 4GB, the game (NOT Steam) locked them out and would not let them run it. A hack came out within days that bypassed the lockout and people were able to run the game just fine (well, as fine as it can run anyway, because it doesn't run fine even on high end systems). It only uses 2GB of RAM, which is cutting it close seeing as Windows 7 also uses about 2GB, but at the end of the day, people with 4GB of RAM could play it, and they were unfairly locked out of the game.

It is possible that other games have done this. Perhaps that was misinterpreted along the line somewhere and eventually came to you as "Steam won't allow playing of games with higher specs."

[Rarity]

I am fairly sure this is false. I cite the fact that I have on a few occasions, used my laptop in work to download games through Steam and then transfer the game files to my desktop in order to play them. There is no way my laptop meets the requirements to play most of the games I've downloaded this way.

Also lets look at the OP statement:

Look at the bolded parts. It seems you contradict yourself.

Edit: Now on the other hand, if Steam were to add a feature that would pop up a warning telling you that the game wouldn't work on your system, that would actually be useful. If there is one, I've never seen it.

I'm not sure how he contradicted himself. The first bold part states that the minimum requirement for the game is 512MB. The second bold part states that he can play it with less. The entire point of this thread is OP pointing out that the minimum requirements for the game are higher than the actual minimum requirements. There are other factors that can affect this, but that's already been covered.

[OrbitusII]

My 2.9GHz CPU, 256MB VRAM, and 12GB RAM can run the game at a decent FPS at 1280*720. I need to upgrade my GPU but as stated earlier, minimums are not absolute.

[Stealth2668]

Isn't it amazing how they actually landed on the moon with less computing power than it takes to run this game

Lol. That's funny cause it's true.

[nils42]

won't let me play TF2

also

http://store.steampowered.com/app/440/

Edited December 6, 2013 by nils42

[Vrana]

I guess this happens because of Team Fortress is a Valve game (which is also the owner of Steam). They probably use Steam to check min game requirements for TF2. I still belive this cannot happen on games of other publishers/developers. I distinctly remember trying to run games under min specs on my wifes laptop. The games failed to run but it wasnt Steam which stopped them from trying.

First time i see this and i own >100 games on Steam.